


Words With Many Meanings

by giddyseizures



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
Genre: Canon Queer Relationship, Character Study, M/M, Unhealthy Relationships, also kinda a modern au??? lets be real do any of us truly know when the fuck this takes place, i sure as hell dont but im dumb as fuck, i wrote this in one day and barely edited it so its. not by best work but yall are getting it anyway, takes place before miserable mill but could in theory be during
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-23 22:53:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14342676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giddyseizures/pseuds/giddyseizures
Summary: Charles reflects on his life with Sir





	Words With Many Meanings

**Author's Note:**

> in honor of season two coming on netflix, i give you the charles/sir fic ive been meaning to write for ages!!
> 
> listen i love rhys darby so much and charles deserves so much love,,,,,
> 
> this is my first work for series of unfortunate events, and im not sure if ill write more but enjoy this at least!!

The two were partners. And not just in a 'we-run-a-lumbermill-together' sense, but a 'we-love-each-other-or-at-least-i-love-him-and-he-tolerates-me' way. Of course, people were quick to assume it was the former, but either way, the first time Sir introduced them as partners, Charles was ecstatic. 

It wasn't easy being partners with Sir, and Charles had to try and find the smallest things as a sign of affection from the man. He wasn't one to openly hold his hand or sit close to him, wrap his arm around his waist or kiss his cheek, but Charles chalked that up to his need to be professional. 

Charles wished Sir would do more to prove to him that he wasn't just a maid who can cook excellent omelets to the man. There were a lot of things that he wished were different.

But, he chose to stay with Sir. Every opportunity he had to leave, he rejected. He loved Sir, and if that meant reading far too much into every glance and touch the man gave him? He would do it in a heartbeat.

Of course, things weren't always this way. When they first met, Sir wasn't so cold and unromantic. When the two first met and began dating, Sir - who wouldn't begin to go by 'Sir' until much later - didn't need Charles to cook him an omelet for him to show the simplest kindness, or to be so secretive about their partnership. He held Charles' hand, he kissed him, he told him he loved him any chance he got.

Where was that man he fell in love with? The one from all those years ago.

Sir hadn't changed since they bought this godforsaken lumbermill. Since the cigars, the workers, the constant chokingly-masculine environment where conditions were shitty and money wasn't quick to be spent. 

Twisting the small, golden band on the third finger of his left hand, Charles wishes he could go back, stop them from buying the lumber mill, and instead taking them somewhere far away from Paultryville and it's constant cloudy weather. 

Instead, he sighed, and took a long, slow sip of his tea. It had gone cold by that point, but he found that he didn't care all that much. 

There were, while rare as they may be, small moments where Sir would pleasantly surprise Charles, showing a side of him that was simply... out of character for the man in recent times. Like that morning, when after Charles had given him his food, Sir grabbed his arm as he turned around and pulled him to him, bringing Charles' face close to his own.

There were no huge, romantic swells of music like the movies always had when Sir slotted their lips together. His mouth tasted like cigars and the omelet Charles made for him that morning. It was a lot less passionate than he would have liked, and there was no additional hand holding or arms around the waist or anything of the sort, but Charles still relished the moment, knowing it wouldn't last very long and there wouldn't be any like it for a while. 

When they separated, Charles had a wide (yet surprised) grin across his face and rose-colored cheeks. Sir's own face had a smile that - while only a fraction of Charles' own - was shockingly genuine, and reflective of the old Sir. It made butterflies swarm at the pit of Charles' stomach and even more heat to rise to his face.

As it turned out, though, it was more or less a ploy to convince Charles to turn the other way when Sir changed some of the rules for the employees. Still, Charles was grateful for any kiss at all.

Standing up and setting his (now empty) teacup into the sink - he knew he'd have to clean it up eventually, but why not just leave it for future-Charles to deal with - he walked out of the kitchen and slipped his jacket on. The Lucky Smells Lumbermill wasn't the most pleasant place to go for a walk, but at the moment, anything was better than the suffocating silence and the putrid smell of Sir's cigars. 

He stepped outside, taking in a deep breath and filling his lungs with fresh air. The horrible screeching of the powerful saws cutting through logs and branches being cut up into tiny pieces to make mulch felt like it was drilling into his head, but he'd felt the same pain in his ears so long that it had just become distant white noise to him. He let out a sigh and shoved his hands into his pockets, beginning to walk around the grounds of the mill. 

Across the yard, he spotted Sir, walking back from his usual check with the foreman. He seemed distant, almost as if he was just trying to keep himself from being openly sad. Charles wanted to run to him, immediately asking what was wrong and how he could help, but he only knew that would make things worse. He may not know a lot about this "new Sir", but he knew that it was best to keep his distance. No matter how much he wanted to help.

Charles let out another sigh, his breath now visible from the cold. Passing some of the workers, the exhausted, sawdust-covered workers, he felt his heart sink. 

He knew he could be doing so much more for them. He had tried to talk to Sir about it before, but Sir immediately cut him off with "Don't argue with me, Charles. Partners shouldn't fight, especially about things like this."

It wasn't right, how their workers were being treated, but no matter what he did, Sir wouldn't budge, and he could only go so far without risking putting more strain on his relationship with the man. You could barely tell they were partners unless someone told you.

Charles knew he shouldn't be so dismissive about the treatment of the mill workers. He knew that their lives and safety should be more important to him than his love life. 

He knew that he probably loved Sir much more than he should have, as the man rarely showed the same respect and admiration.

But, at the end of the day, the two were partners. No matter what happened.


End file.
